Related resources for this article

Introduction

Characteristics of Free Enterprise

Division of Labor

At one time nearly all work was agricultural. (In poor countries it still is.) As civilizations developed and cities were formed, the role of agriculture as an employer of people began to diminish. Individuals undertook new tasks: mining, handicrafts, trade, and weaving cloth, for example. This simple division of labor paved the way for a greater creation of wealth in a society, because it permitted people to specialize in certain types of work, thereby creating…

Price

Profit

Rules

Unplanned order

Goods and services

Consumers and Value

Critics of Capitalism

Additional Reading

It’s here: the NEW Britannica Kids website!

We’ve been busy, working hard to bring you new features and an updated design. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. Take a minute to check out all the enhancements!

The same safe and trusted content for explorers of all ages.

Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops.

Improved homework resources designed to support a variety of curriculum subjects and standards.

A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar.

Want to see it in action?

Start a free trial

E-mail

To

From

Sender NamePlease enter your name.

Sender EmailPlease enter a valid email address.

Translate this page

Choose a language from the menu above to view a computer-translated version of this page. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. Britannica does not review the converted text.

After translating an article, all tools except font up/font down will be disabled. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar.